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Gokoku and Ricohl
}} The Gokoku and Ricohl are Japanese cameras taking 3×4cm pictures on 127 film, made by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō (the predecessor of Ricoh) from 1938 to the war. They have a focal plane shutter and look like the Leica screw models, without a rangefinder. (It is said that the Roico 4×4 leaf shutter camera used the body of the Gokoku and Ricohl in a slightly modified form.) "Senzen no rikō kamera – hoi", p. 21 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. The Gokoku and Ricohl were not the only 3×4 camera with a focal plane shutter: other examples are the Foth Derby, the Ensign Multex or the French Lumière Elax, Gallus Derlux and Pontiac Lynx II. However they were perhaps the only ones with an exposure counter and film advance fully coupled to the shutter winding. Possible predecessors: the Lausar and the Baika The Lausar is only known from a letter by Ōishi Hiroshi (大石博) to the Japanese magazine Kurashikku Kamera Senka. Dokusha-dayori, pp. 161–2 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. It is a 3×4 camera with a focal plane shutter, of which about ten prototypes were made by the company Tomioka: this was confirmed to Mr Ōishi by the company, the date being told as "at the time of the China events" (支那事変当時), an euphemism designating the war with China which broke out in 1937. According to the pictures, the camera's general aspect and the layout of the controls are very similar to the Gokoku but the body is slightly more angular. The name Lausar is engraved on the top plate above the viewfinder, together with a logo, the company name Tomioka Kogaku Tokyo and the serial number. The serial number is in the 11xx range, perhaps 1198. The speed dial seems to have Z, 30–500 settings. The lens is a collapsible Tomioka Lausar 5cm f/3.5 with a focusing tab and an infinity stop. It is not known if it is interchangeable. The striking design similarity leads to the hypothesis that Riken took over the Lausar project from Tomioka and developed it into the Gokoku. The Baika (バイカ) The Roman spelling "Baika" is given in , p. 338, but it is unconfirmed. is only known from , quoting a column in the April 1937 issue of Camera Club. It is said to be a 3×4 camera with a focal plane shutter giving B, 25–500 speeds, automatic stop film advance, chrome fittings and a collapsible Lausar f/4.5 lens. , p. 338. It seems that it was presented as a Leica copy, and the name "Baika" itself is very close to Leica (ライカ, raika in Japanese). It is attributed to the department store Ōsaka Daimaru Hyakkaten which was obviously only the distributor. , p. 338. The presence of the Lausar lens by Tomioka and the similarity of the specifications suggests that the Baika was another name for the Lausar camera. The Riken No. 1 The Gokoku itself was first announced by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō as the Riken No. 1 (理研NO.1) or Riken Camera (理研カメラ) in advertisements and articles dated October 1938. Advertisement published in Shashin Salon October 1938, reproduced in Awano, p. 4 of Camera Collectors' News no. 39. Advertisement published in Asahi Camera October 1938, reproduced in , p. 102 and in Awano, p. 24 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. (The advertisements in Shashin Salon and in Asahi Camera are exactly the same.) Atarashii kikai to zairyō (new products column) of Asahi Camera October 1938, reproduced in Awano, p. 5 of Camera Collectors' News no. 39. , p. 343, also mentions an advertisement in ''Ars Camera. The pictured camera is identical to the Gokoku but it seems to have no markings above the top plate. The shutter speed range goes from 1/20 to 1/500. The article in Asahi Camera October 1938 says 20, 40, 60, 100, 200, 500, bulb. The absence of 1/30 is perhaps a mistake. The lens looks like it is interchangeable but this is not mentioned anywhere in the original documents. It has a large focusing tab, different from the part normally found on the Gokoku lenses. The lens was said to be a Ukas Anastigmat f/3.5 in the October 1938 Asahi Camera article but it was announced as a Riken Kōgaku Anastigmat f/3.5 in the advertisements and the pictures show the engraving RIKEN 1:3.5 F=50mm. The Riken No. 1 was available for to subscribers only (the same price as the Weha Chrome Six and Auto Semi Minolta). Advertisements cited above. , p. 343, mentions an article in Asahi Shinbun 28 August 1938 and it seems that the subscription was already open at that date. It seems that the camera was never produced under that name and no surviving example has surfaced so far. It is said that the delivery was delayed and that this caused complaints. Awano, p. 1 of Camera Collectors' News no. 39 and p. 23 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. The Gokoku The Riken No. 1 was actually sold in 1939 and 1940 under the name Gokoku (or Gokoku No. 1). The word gokoku (written 護国) means "protector of the country", it is an example of the "patriotic" wartime names often used by Riken. Description The camera has a metal body, leather covered with chrome top and bottom plates. The viewfinder is offset to the left and is contained in a short top housing. The name GOKOKU N°1 is engraved above the finder (with a stylized G) together with the R.K.K initials of Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō. The accessory shoe, speed dial and shutter release are above the top housing, to the right of the viewfinder. The speed dial has Z, 20, 30, 40, 60, 100, 200, 500 settings. The serial number is engraved in front of the accessory shoe. At the left end of the top plate there is a fake rewind knob what looks like a rewind knob: the camera does not need rewind and it is only there to look like the Leica. The advance knob is at the right end, it turns in the counter-clockwise direction and is surrounded by the exposure counter. The film is advanced and the shutter is wound in the same movement. Awano, p. 11 of Camera Collectors' News no. 40 and p. 24 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. Because of the absence of perforations, the film advance mechanism only relies on feeler-rollers and it was plagued with reliability problems. Awano, p. 2 of Camera Collectors' News no. 39 and p. 24 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. The back and bottom plate are removable together and they are locked by keys at both ends. The bottom plate also has a tripod thread. The back contains a single red window at the left end, used to set the position of the first exposure. It is protected by a cover that is retracted by a thumbwheel surrounding the red window. Advertising In an advertisement dated February 1939 by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō, the Gokoku was listed among the camera range for (the name was written 護国). Advertisement for the Riken camera range published in the 26 February 1939 issue of Sunday Mainichi, reproduced in the Gochamaze website. A full advertisement for the Gokoku was inserted in the October 1939 of Shinkō Graph. The camera was presented with a fixed Gokoku Anastigmat f/3.5 lens and the price was . Advertisement reproduced in Tanaka, p. 9 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. The Gokoku was listed again in another advertisement dated October 1940. , p. 336. It was also listed for ¥190 in the compiled on October 25, 1940. , type 5, section 1. Variations The Gokoku is known both with an interchangeable lens and with a fixed lens. On the cameras with an interchangeable lens, the lens mount is the standard Leica thread mount. It is said that regular Leica lenses can be mounted on the Gokoku but that they end up in the upside down position, with the focusing scale at the bottom. Awano, p. 1 of Camera Collectors' News no. 39 and p. 24 of ''Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. The only lens that was made for the camera is a close copy of the collapsible Leitz Elmar 50mm f/3.5. The lens rim is engraved Ofunar 1:3.5 f=50mm N°xxxxx and the aperture scale goes from 3.5 to 18. The lens focuses down to 1 meter. Only one example has been observed so far with an interchangeable lens. It has body no. 1887 and lens no. 48010 and it is pictured in Awano and Sugiyama (item 3022). The cameras with a fixed lens have a slightly larger helicoid, focusing down to 0.5 meter. The lens rim is engraved GOKOKU ANASTIGMAT 1:3.5 F=50mm and the lens number is engraved on the distance scale. On some lenses, the aperture scale is 3.5, 4.5, 6.3, 9, 12.5, 18 and on others it is 3.5, 4.5, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22. There is a metal lens cap engraved RKK. Examples have been observed with body numbers ranging from 1168 to 2954 and lens numbers ranging from 10168 to 12043. It seems that about 1,500 to 2,000 examples of the Gokoku were produced. Variations are known in the feeler roller system advance system, presumably because of an attempt of making the troublesome mechanism more reliable. Some cameras have a roller attached to the back and facing the main roller inside the body. On others there is a metal bridge forcing the film onto the main roller and the pressure plate is accordingly modified. Comparative pictures are shown in Awano, p. 3 of Camera Collectors' News no. 39. Accessory rangefinder An external rangefinder was available for the camera. It is marked ''RKK and GOKOKU RANGE-FINDER, and it was copied on the external rangefinder of the Leica Standard, with a shorter base. The Ricohl Riken launched the Ricohl, successor of the Gokoku, around late 1940. It is said that Ichimura Kiyoshi (the founder of Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō) sought the help of Fujimoto Sakae (藤本栄), who would later design the Ricohflex III, to make the camera more reliable. Page about the Gokoku and Ricohl at the Ricoh official website. Description http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/411896563_46d4ad2d59_t_d.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/154/411896560_b98cac66d0_t_d.jpg The Ricohl has a longer top housing covering the whole top plate. The finder is larger and the fake rewind knob has been suppressed. The accessory shoe, speed dial and release button are similar to the parts mounted on the Gokoku. The advance knob is different, it turns in the clockwise direction and contains the exposure counter. There is an index next to the advance knob, pointing to the frame number. The advance mechanism was completely reworked: it is said that the shutter is wound first and the film is advanced next, and that this needs about three turns of the knob. Awano, p. 11 of Camera Collectors' News no. 40 and p. 24 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. The feeler roller was again modified too. Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14, p. 21. The name Ricohl is engraved above the viewfinder, together with the model number and the initials R.K.K for Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō. The serial number is engraved in front of the accessory shoe. Versions The Ricohl I (リコールⅠ型) has the same fixed mount Gokoku Anastigmat 50mm f/3.5 lens as the Gokoku. The aperture scale goes from 3.5 to 18. Examples have been observed with body numbers ranging from 2750 to 3600 and lens numbers ranging from 10642 to 12285. It seems that the serial number sequence continues the sequence of the Gokoku, with some overlap at the beginning of the production, and that about 1,000 to 1,500 examples of the Ricohl I were produced. The Ricohl II (リコールⅡ型) was perhaps a rangefinder version. It was briefly advertised (see below) but no picture is known and no surviving example has ever surfaced. The Ricohl IIB (リコールⅡB型) has an interchangeable lens with a specific screw mount. According to Awano, p. 25 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14, the screw mount has 40mm diameter, 32 threads per inch and 27.9mm flange to film distance. The lens is a collapsible four-element Neutar 50mm f/3.5. The aperture scale goes from 3.5 to 18 and the lens rim is engraved NEUTAR 1:3.5 F=50mm. No lens number is visible. Very few examples of the Ricohl IIB has been observed so far, and the only observed serial number is in the 44xx range. One example perhaps has body no. 4410 and is pictured in Awano, p. 23 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14 and in Sugiyama (item 3048). It seems that another one is pictured in Awano, p. 25 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14: it has a larger focusing tab, reminding the focusing tab visible on the pictures of the Riken No. 1. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/127/411898354_1e55d12199_m_d.jpg Case with ''Riken embossing. '' Two models of ever-ready case are known. One is hinged to the back and is embossed Riken at the front and the other is hinged at the bottom and is embossed Ricohl. The two case models are pictured in Awano, p. 25 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. Advertising The camera was already listed in the compiled on October 25, 1940, in two versions: the Ricohl for ¥190 and the Ricohl II for ¥335, with no further detail. , type 5, sections 1 and 2. These prices were set according the camera characteristics, and the price of the Ricohl II is on par with the original Leotax and with the rangefinder versions of the Canon. This might indicate that the Ricohl II was a rangefinder version. The Ricohl I was advertised in February, March and October 1941 for Advertisement published in Shashin Bunka February 1941, reproduced in Awano, p. 13 of Camera Collectors' News no. 40 and p. 24 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. Advertisement published in Shashin Bunka March 1941, reproduced in , p. 103. Advertisement published in Shashin Bunka October 1941, reproduced in Tanaka, p. 10 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. It was also featured in the new products column of the April 1941 issue of Asahi Camera. Shashinkai topikku — Kokusan zairyō in Asahi Camera April 1941, reproduced in Awano, p. 13 of Camera Collectors' News no. 40. The Ricohl IIB was offered for in an advertisement dated February 1942. Advertisement published in Shashin Bunka, reproduced in , p. 103 and in Awano, p. 24 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no. 14. This advertisement is also visible in this page of Xylocopal's photolog. See also this advertisement reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura. In another advertisement dated 1942, the Ricohl II was listed for and the IIB for . Advertisement reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura. The price of the Ricohl IIB later rose to ¥291.48. Price set in March 1943 according to Awano, p. 12 of Camera Collectors' News no. 40. An advertisement showing the Ricohl IIB at that price is reproduced in Awano, p. 14 of Camera Collectors' News no. 40, where it is mistakenly said to be dated June 1941. The Ricohl IIB was advertised until mid 1943. The last advertisement listed in , p. 343, is dated August 1943. The Ricohl was mentioned in the , listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943. , item 160. In that document, the focal plane shutter is said to give B, 1–500 speeds, probably by mistake. Notes Bibliography * Arimura Katsumi (有村克巳). "Rikō Ryakushi" (リコー略史, Ricoh short history). Pp. 6–7. * Items 105, 172, 309 and 312–3. (See also the picture on p. 14.) * Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Gokoku" (ゴコク護国). In Camera Collectors' News no. 39 (September 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. * Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Rikōru I-gata" (リコールⅠ型, Ricohl I). In Camera Collectors' News no. 40 (October 1980). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. * Dokusha-dayori (読者だより, Readers' letters) Pp. 161–2. * Hayashi Taneomi (林胤臣). "Rikōru no omoide" (リコールの思い出, Records of the Ricohl). P. 85. * * P. 55. * P. 833. * "Senzen no rikō kamera – hoi" (戦前のリコーカメラ・補遺, Prewar Ricoh cameras – appendix). Pp. 21–2. * Items 3022–4 and 3047–8. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Rikō kamera no nagare" (リコーカメラの流れ, Evolution of the Ricoh cameras). Pp. 8–11. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Senzen no kamera 4: Gokoku to Rikōru" (戦前のカメラ4・ゴコクとリコール, Prewar cameras 1: Gokoku and Ricohl). Pp. 23–5. Links In English: * The Gokoku, an article by David Silver from the issue #154 of Camera Shopper, in the International Photographic Historical Organization website * Ricohl I picture by Pacific Rim Camera at pbase.com In Japanese: * Pages of the Ricoh official website: ** Gokoku and Ricohl in the Ricoh camera list, with pictures of a fixed lens Gokoku, a Ricohl I and a Ricohl IIB (from top to bottom) ** article about the Ricohl, with a technical drawing of the mechanism ** article about the Riken wartime camera names * Ricohl I at the All Japan Classic Camera Club website * Advertisement for the Riken range (on the left, listing the Gokoku) published in the 26 February 1939 issues of Sunday Mainichi, reproduced in the camera company page of the Gochamaze website * Advertisements reproduced in Nostalgic Camera, a page of old Japanese advertisements by Toshio Inamura: ** Advertisement for the Ricohl IIB dated 1942 ** Advertisement for the Heil C dated 1942, also listing the Ricohl II and IIB * Advertisement for the Ricohl IIB published in Asahi Camera February 1942, visible in this page about old camera magazines of Xylocopal's photolog Category: Japanese 3x4 viewfinder Category: Ricoh Category: G Ricohl